The Heron And The Muskrat
Fixate your diligence on the sure ways to certainty, do not obsess over the unpredictable.
The muskrat keeps its nose to the grindstone, with its only focus to build a nest for the upcoming winter. Day in and day out, the muskrat collects cattails and builds upon yesterday’s labor. Much like any other day, the muskrat swam out into the river in hopes of gathering more reeds for his burrow. As the muskrat made its way to the other side of the shoreline, he spotted a heron perched upon a sanguine tree. The muskrat found the heron to be beautiful, a breath of fresh air amidst his mundane ventures. Believed by the muskrat, the heron embodied freedom, and endless opportunities ready for the taking.
However, the muskrat knew to keep his admiration for the heron disclosed, there would be no chance of the heron reciprocating that same adoration to a river rat like he. So, the muskrat went on its way back home and continued to build its nest for the cold months ahead. With every reed the muskrat slapped onto the mound of mud, a new reason to love the heron was contrived. The muskrat could not stop thinking about the heron and was convinced that he must confess his love or else he would surely burst. So the next morning, the muskrat swam back to the sanguine tree and sure enough, the heron was there.
Now typically, the muskrat only peaks up at the sky to watch for predators with wings, but this time it was to catch a glimpse of his beloved heron. The muskrat squealed with excitement like never before and exclaimed to the heron, “I have no sense as to what it’s like to be a heron, we seemingly have no traits that are alike but I promise to learn the ways to satisfy your needs. Here I am, acting out of my natural state and confiding to you, leaving my all vulnerable to you”. The heron was shocked by the commotion the muskrat made and replied, “Your honesty has caught me off guard and there truly is nothing I can say that will satisfy your wants”. Regardless, the muskrat was persistent and let out another squeal to rebuttal the heron’s reluctance.
As a result, the noise had signaled a hawk, which swooped down to the muskrat and swallowed him whole. The heron was not surprised by the outcome, for any sane creature knew that the muskrat’s ruckus would promise pain to him. Apparently, the muskrat was so obsessed with the heron that all common sense had left his mind, leaving only his fascination for the heron left.